Boiler-flue-cleaner system.



DE LOS E. HIBNER & F. W. LINAKBR.

BOILEB. PLUE CLEANER SYSTEM,

APPLIoA'rIoN FILED APlLzv, 1912.

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BOILER FLUB CLEANER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED APB. 27, 1912.

- Patented 0ct.1,5,`1912.

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'DE LOS E. HIBNER AND FREDBICX W. PLINAKEROF DUBOIS, EENNSYL'YANIAQ AS- SIGNORS TO THE VULCAN SOOT ULEANEB' COMPANY OF PITTSBUBG", PA., 'Ol'm8.

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BOILEBPFLUE-CLEANER SYSTEM.

Specication of Lettera Patent.

'Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application illed April 27, 1912.- Serial No. y698,596.

` 2in the county of Clearfield and `State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Flue- Cleaner Systems, of which the following 1s aspecification.

l This invention relates to certain new and useful. -improvements in boiler flue cleaner systemsf'and relates more particularl -1t0 ...that type of flue cleaners 'in which a uid, such. as steam, is employed as aI cleaning agent for removing soot from the lues, and for reventing an accumulation of soot on the ues. l

The present invent-ion is an improvement 20 upon flue cleaners of the type shown, de-

scribed, and claimed in Letters Patent .'#705,912 grant d July 29, 1902 to William Eichelberger, soot cleaners for boilers; Letters Patent #801,858, Oct. 17, 1905 to Wilham' Eichelberger, for soot vcleaners for boilers; Letters Patent #984,919, granted Feb.. 21, 1911 to De Los E. Hibner, boiler ,lue cleaner systems, and upon the flue cleaner systems shown and described in application Serial #670,608 of De Los E. Hibner, and application Serial v#673,643 of James Moore, for improvement in boiler flue cleaner systems.

The present invention is more specifically, an improvement in the systems shown `and described in the Hibner application #670,608 and the Moore application :#673,643 above referred to, and has for its main object to provide means whereby the discharge nozzles of the distributing pipes guided during the rotation of the distributlng Apipe insuch manner that the lcleaning agent will be projected on a line lat an oblique angle to the axis of the distributing pipe at all times except when the nozzle is at a right angle to the axis of such distributing pipe.

It is a further object of the present-invention to provide,r in a flue cleaner system .of the type particularly referral to above, means for guiding the discharge end of the nozzle or nozzles carried by the distributing pipe so that the cleaning agent willwbe projected on the desired oblique line between the tubes of the boiler. i

Itis a further object of the resent invention to provide means in. a ue cleaner system involving rotatable distributing pipes for maintaining the nozzle or nozzles carrled by the distributing pipe clear of the tubes .or dues of the boiler'at all times,

thereby preventing any wear of` the-tubes' 'or abrasion of the same by the nozzles.

It a still further ob'ect ofthe present 1nvent1on to provide a ue cleaner system .of the type particularly referred to which can be readily adapted to 4'any of the dierent types of water tube boilers, andit'is a -still further object to provide. in aiilue cleaner system of this type, fory such fan arrangement and constructiony as will materially decrease the number of distributing pipesl generally required, thus greatly simplifying and cheapening the cost of installation, as well as cost for maintenance ofthe System.

Still further objects of the present invention will appear hereinafter as the practical embodiment which has been chosen for; the purpose of illustration, is more'fully described in detail and then claimed, and in describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to 'the accompanying .drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference will be employed to designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, .in which Figure 1 is a View in elevation with p0rtions of a boiler setting `broken away and portions in section, a flue cleaner in accordance with the present invention being shown as applied in position with respect torthe water tubes ofthe boiler. 1 Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a boiler and its setting, partly broken. awa a'flue cleaner s stem in accordance wit this invention, eing shown as a lied thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective `view Iof-one form of device for* guiding the discharge end of the distributing' pi e nozzle, the view illustrating a portion o? a distributing pipe, and also showing the uiding means forthe discharge nozzle `as eing supported from one being practically on line 4-54 of Fig. 5 but with the discharge nozzle 1n side elevation.

y Fi 5 is a front elevation of the said nozzle pipe or pipes in the present system are uiding device or member. Fig.y 6 is a central longitudinal sectional vieW of the discharge nozzle. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the discharge nozzle taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a` transverse vertical sectional view of the discharge nozzle taken on the line 8-8y of Fig. 6, and, Fig. 9 is a detail View of a modified form of the device for guiding the discharge end of the nozzle during rotation of the distributing pipe.

In order to clearly illustrate an application of our invention to a Water tube boiler, We have chosen to show it as applied to a' Water tube boiler of the well-known Babcock and Wilson type, but it will be under stood that the system is alike applicable to all the diii'erent types of Water tube boilers, such changes as may be made being Wholly as to position and location, and not in any principle of operation of the device.

`In the herein illustrated` embodiment of the invention, We have also shown the distributing pipes as connected up to a f eed pipe 10 which is usually arranged outside of the boiler setting, and which feed pipe is connected to the distributing pipes by branch pipes l1 ina manner clearly shown 1n the above referred to `applications of De Los E. Hibner and James Moore and incertain of the patents also above referred to. The said feed line and branch. pipes are provided with the shut-ofi valves, drain valves, vacuum preventing devices, etc., all as clearly illustrated in Patent #984,919 above referred to, and which is is not necessary to herein describein detail.

As heretoforestated, the distributing adapted to be rotated on their axis or axes, and this rotation may be effected in any suitable manner. We herein show a chain and sprocket for effecting such rotation, but obviously, a handle or lever connected to the distributing pipe, or other equivalent means would perform the same function.

v By reason of the means which is provided in the present system for maintaining the discharge end of the nozzle or nozzles of the distributing pipeor pipes at an oblique angle to the axis of the distributing pipe or pipes during the rotation of the latter, the sweep or range covered by the cleaning agent projected from each nozzle is very materially increased, and for this reason a material decrease in the number of distributing pipes required is effected. We have found in practice that by the use of the guiding means for the discharge nozzles, that three Vof the distributing pipes are suicient for a boiler of ordinarycapacity,

whereas 'a boiler of substantially the same capacity would require at least double the amount of distributing pipes in order to cover all lof the surface of the flues, by rea son of the more limited range of the steam projected from each nozzle, due to the restricted oblique angle in which the cleaning agent is projected when the discharge end of the nozzle is at all times in the same relation with respect toy the axis of the vdistributing tube.

ln the illustration, two distributing pipes are shown as disposed above the flues, and one beneath the flues, and since our inventiony in the prcsent'in'stance relates to the maintaining of the desired oblique angle of discharge, a description of the means shown for one distributing pipe will sutiice for all.

Reference will therefore be particularly had to Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive of the drawings, it being understood that the distributing pipe or pipes 12 is or are provided With a sprocket and chain or other equivalent means as 14 for revolving the pipe or pipes, such means being located outside the boiler setting in the usual manner. Each distributing ipe is suitably journaled in the front Wall' of the boiler setting, and since, with the present invention, the 'distributing pipe is supported at intervals throughout its length, it becomes unnecessary to provide any supportfo'r the distributing pipe at its inner end, thus simplifying and cheapening the cost of installation.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5, a specific form of de vice for guiding the discharge end of the nozzle or nozzles of the pipe is illustrated, and in Figs. 3 to 8, a specific form of nozzle is illustrated,l it being understood however, that this construction may be changed or altered as may be desired. Without departing from the broad idea of maintaining the discharge end of the nozzle at the desired oblique angle to the axis of the distributing pipe.

As We have practiced the invention, we have provided the distributing pipe 12 With ne l a plurality of sectional nozzles sodisposed or provided with a universal or swivel joint intermediate its inlet end and its discharge end. The'inlet end of the nozzle is tapped into the distributng'pipe and is designated 'lib as. 14, the discharge end or nipple of the nozzle being designated as 15. The portion 14 of the nozzle has a boss y,or a body 16 in trate it merely as one form of device which' register at all times, providing a continuouspassage way from the distributing pipe throu h the nozzle, such passage way however, eing an irregular one instead of u on a straight line. It is to be understood t at this merely illustrates one form of a nozzle which, when the distributing pipe ,is rotated,

may have its discharge end retained in such position as to discharge at the desired obliqueangle with respect to the axis of the distributing pipe, and we 'therefore do not claim the specific construction of nozzle herein shown and above described, but illuscan be advantageously used to accomplish the purpose of our invention.

The means herein illustrated in Fig. 3 for guiding sists o a guide member designated generally by the reference numeral 20, and which embodies two spaced side plates 21 and 22 respectively, which are practically of horseshoe form, being held in s aced relation toj each other by connecting ars as 23, or in any other desired manner, the space at the ends' of the plates being preferably closed, since such construction provides for a limitingjof the rotary movement which can be given to the distributing pipes, and thereby obvia'teswany danger of these pipes being rotatedI intol a position where the steam would be projected into space Where it could perform no useful function.

The discharge or nipple end 15 of the nozzle is received in the guide-Way provided by the spaced plates 21, 22 of the guide herein illustrated, and it Will be obvious that as? the distributing pipe 12 is rotated, the ni -l ple or discharge end 15 of the nozzle will e held in such guide-Way, the degree of the oblique angle of the nipple with respect to-v the axis o the distributing pipe changing as the distributing pipe is rotated but an oblique angle being maintained at all times until the nozzle reaches an angle at direct right angles to the axis of the distributing pipe.

We have herein shown the guide member 20 in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 as being supported directly upon one of the water tubes 24, by

means of clamp members 25 which after being clamped around the water tube are suitably fastened thereto in any desired manner., We preferably, when the form of guiding member illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5v is employed, provide the same at its lower end, with a depending supporting arm 26 the discharge end of the nozzle conwhich rests upon the water tube 24 directliy below that water tube to which the gui e member is attached. This supporting arm, while acting as an additional support for the guide member, obviating danger of the latter shifting its position relative to the distributing pi e, also serves the function of positionlng t e guide member so that the obhque angle of projection of the cleaning agent with respect to the axis of the distributing pipe 1s assured.

Instead of emplo ing a guide plate of the form shown 1n igs. 3 to 5, the same function may be obtained by the device illustrated in Fig. 9, in which we provide on the nipple 15 of the nozzle, a hook member 27 which engages over-a guide plate 28, the nipple end ofthe nozzle in this construction being maintained at the oblique angle by reason of 'the hook member riding around on the guide plate 27 as the distributing pipe is revolved.

vIt is to be understood that while we have herein shown the means employed for maintaining the nipple or dischar e end of the nozzle at an oblique angle to t e axis of the distributing pipe, as being supported by the water tubes of the boiler, yet it will be evident that the means employed for guiding the discharge end or nipple of the nozzle or nozzles may be as readily supported wholly independent of the water tubes, and we therefore do not Wish Ato confine ourselves to any construction in which the water tubes act as the support for the guiding means.

Where a guiding means such as herein illustrated and described is employed, it will be observed that in addition to its designed function of maintaining a desired oblique angle between the nipple and the axis of the distributing pipe, it also serves to prevent the nozzle from contacting at any time with the water tubes adjacent thereto. obviating any danger of wearing or otherwise damaging the tubes due to their being struck by thel nozzles during rotation of the distributing pipes. y

We also desire to call attention to the fact that the supporting arm 26, in the use of a guiding member such as illustrated in Fig. 3,fxes the oblique line in the particular boiler to which the device is to be applied, as will be evident by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings, some water tube-boilersfhaving their tubes so disposed that -the tubes'of one course are staggered with respect to the tubes or flues of an adjacent course.

With a construction such fas above described, it will be clear that as the distributing pipe or pipes are rotated, that `the discharge or nipple end of Ithe nozzle is maintained at the oblique angle which will cause the projection of the cleaning agent to be on a line that passes through bet-Ween the tubes infsuch manner as to eifectually clean the latter of any accumulation of soot thereon. It will be understood that the nozzles are so disposed or arranged -tributing pipe or pipes,`

maintaining the projection ofthe cleaning a ent at the correct oblique angle to the axis o the' distributing pipe throughout the arc of rotation.

Having. fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States is l. In a flue cleaner system, a distributing pipe mounted for rotation in proximity to the water tubes of a boiler, means for supplying said pipe with Esteam, projecting nozzles carried by said pipe, and means whereby the discharge ends of said nozzles are maintained at an oblique angle to the axis of the distributing pipe while the inlet ends of the nozzles describe an arc of a circle on lines at right angles to the axis of said pipe while the latter is being rotated.

2. In a flue cleaner system, a distributingv I pipe mounted for rotation in proximity to the tubes of a boiler, a nozzle carried by said pipe, and means'whereby the oblique angularity of the discharge end of the nozzle with respect to the axis of the distributing pipe is maintained while the distributing pipe is being rotated and the inlet end of the nozzle is describing an arc of a circle on lines at right angles to the axis of the distributing pipe.

3. Ina flue cleaner system, a rotatablymounted' distributing pipe having connection with a steam supply, flexible nozzles carried by the distributing pipe and projecting therefrom, and means whereby the discharge ends of said nozzles are retained atan oblique angle with respect to the axis of theA distributing pipe and the inlet ends of said nozzles are describing an arc of a circle on lines at rightangles to said distributing pipe during rotation of the latter.

4. In a flue cleaner system, a distributing pipe, a steam feed linefor the distributing pipe, and nozzles carried by the distributing pipe capable of having their discharge ends retained in such position that the steam is discharged therefrom during rotation of the distributing pipe in lines at oblique angles to the axis of the distributing pipe, means 'manosc- .for so retainin said discharge ends of the nozzles, the in et end s of said nozzles describing an arc of a circle on lines at right angles to the axis of the distributing pipev during rotation of the latter. 5.1In a flue cleaner' system, a rotatablymounted distributing pipe, means for supplying steam to said pipe, and nozzles carriedby said pipe which are exible between the distributing pipe and their outlet ends `whereby the outlet ends of the nozzles are retained during rotation of the -pipe on lines at an oblique angle tothe axis of the distributing pipe. l

6. Ina flue cleaner system, a plurality of distributing pipes mounted in proximity to the boiler flues and capable of rotation, means for supplying steam to said pipes,

and nozzles carried by the pipes and so conl structed as .to be pliable between their inlet .and their discharge ends, whereby said discharge ends are held on lines extending at an oblique angle with respect to the axis of the distributing pipes while the latter are being. rotated.

7. In a flue cleaner system, a distributing pipe, and means for rotating said pipe, combined with nozzles carried by the distributing pipe which arel pliable between their inlet and discharge ends, and means for retaining the discharge ends of the nozzles on lines extending at an oblique angle to the axis of the distributing pipe while the latter is being rotated. v

8. In a flue cleaner system, a rotatably- Vmounted distributing pipe, means for supplying steam to said pipe, nozzles carried by the distributing pipe and pliable intermediate their 'inlet and discharge ends, and means for guiding the discharge ends of said nozzles during rotation of the pipe to retain said discharge ends on lines extending at oblique angles to the axis of the distributing pipe.

9. In a tube cleaner'system, a distributing pipe 4mounted for rotation in proximity to the water tubes of a boiler, nozzles projecting Jfrom said pipe and lying between adjacent tubes that are on the same plane, and means for guiding the discharge ends of said nozzles and holding same out of contact with the boilertubes as the distributing pipe is rotated.

10.' In a tube cleaner system, a distributing pipe mounted for rotation in proximity to the water tubes of a boiler and connected to a steam supply, a plurality of nozzles project-ing prising an inlet and a discharge section, said nozzles adapted to project the steam between the tubes on lines at an oblique angle to the axis of die distributing pipe, and means for guiding the discharge section of each nozzle whereby said lines of oblique angle are maintained during rotation of the pipe.

from said pipe and each com- 11. In a tube cleaner system,'a distributoblique lines of steam discharge throughout ing pipe'mounted for rotation in proximity the arc of rotation of the pipe.

to the water tubes of n boiler and connected In testimony whereof we atix our signato u. steam supply, a lurality of nozzles cartures in presence of two Witnesses. 5 ried by said pipe an projecting between ad- DE LOS E HIBNER jacent tubes of the boiler said nozzles swinging with the pipe as the iatter is rotated and FREDERICK W' LINAKER adapted to project the steam between the Witnesses: tubes on linesat an obli ue angle to the axis l A. M. WILSON, 10 of the pipe, and means or maintaining the T. K. BRYANT. 

